The Introduction
Martin Luther faced personal, political, and religious turmoil. It began with God revealing his heart. It then moved into religious turmoil until he was directed to the Galatians and realized justification as an act of God through faith. Now, he had to proclaim this truth and refute the error of works, which brought him into conflict with the religious authorities.
The Power
There is good reason Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, based on Psalm 46, is often seen as a parallel to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. His experience was much like Julia Ward Howe’s; they both lived in tumultuous times. In 1861, she heard Union troops singing a familiar tune, and her pastor friend suggested she write more serious verse for the music. She later reported, “…but I awoke the next morning in the gray of the early dawn, and to my astonishment found that the wished-for lines were arranging themselves in my brain. I lay quite still until the last verse had completed itself in my thoughts, then hastily arose, saying to myself, I shall lose this if I don’t write it down immediately.” (See God and Beautiful Blog on the Battle Hymn of the Republic for reference.) After its publication in February 1862, Union troops frequently sang her song, and it became something of a second national anthem.
The Gem
My morning reading yesterday included Psalm 46. Here is my takeaway: whether the calamity is personal, natural, or political, I noted this gem in verse 10 that encapsulates the hope of this Psalm: “Cease striving and know that I am God.” However, the literal Hebrew here communicates this more powerfully: “Let go and relax.” Reading David’s life certainly does not justify seeing him advocate passivity, but rather quiet assurance even when engaged in battle. Most assuredly, Luther’s life follows the same pattern.
The Battle
The day Adam and Eve kicked over the traces and decided they knew better than God, the battle began. The enemy had gained a foothold, and the heart of man, as Jeremiah puts it, “is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? As a result, Mr. Matthew Stone, Sr. killed eight family members and associates, including grandchildren, before himself. Then there are the suicide bombers who, according to statistics I’ve read, end up killing their fellow Muslims. Then there are thousands who turn to drugs because of that evil heart, seekingprofound emotional numbness, relief from emotional pain, or an intense, temporary sense of well-being or tranquility. So that heart is doing what it did the first time God was not enough; it seeks its own satisfaction because it is restless.
The Application
Whether a crisis is self-generated or imposed by another, a circumstance, or trauma, the message is the same: Don’t start with the circumstances; start with Elohim, the God who had the power and intelligence to bring the universe into existence (Gen 1:1). Knowing Him generates trust in Him. So, whatever the tragedy, the crisis, or the trauma, “Let go and relax,” listen to Him, and do what He instructs. Peter makes the same point in 1 Peter 5:6-9, building on the theology laid out from chapter one forward: humble yourself before God under His mighty hand, choose to stop being anxious, think soberly (start with God), and be on the alert because the Devil will attempt to use your experience to bring you down.
The Implementation
The words of St. Augustine tell the tale:
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord,
and our hearts are restless until they
rest in you.”
And so, my friend, if you are restless, there is only one place to find rest. Remember the gem, “Let go and relax.” It is the only way to live in peace with the battles of life raging around us daily. Within a fourteen-month span, my elbow was shattered in an auto wreck, ultimately through my attempts to quell my restless heart, and I was caught in a job site explosion and burned severely. However, between the two events, like Luther, I was pointed to Jesus and found justification before God.
So, my friend, you have a part to play in accessing that rest and being able to relax. The car wreck brought panic and an attempt to fix life my way. I endured the fire and injuries by resting in His providence and following the instructions of the doctor He provided; I came through the traumatic experience at peace. So, choose to trust Him, which includes listening to His instructions and exercising your will to obey.
